Orbit Rider GT Development
Initial ideation
Orbit Rider GT was created for the GMTK Game Jam, with the theme “Loop.” I wanted to interpret the theme through both the gameplay and structure of the levels, so the core idea became a game about going on a grand tour of the galaxy, jumping between orbiting planets and completing each level by forming a full loop back home.
The game was made in GameMaker, as it is the engine I am most comfortable working in. Because game jams move quickly, I wanted to use a tool that would let me build systems fast while still giving me enough control to polish the movement, visuals, and game feel.
Visually, I wanted Orbit Rider GT to feel cute and almost anime-inspired, while still using the monochrome style I often enjoy working with. The title Orbit Rider GT plays on the idea of a Grand Tour through space, while also giving a small nod to Dragon Ball GT. Before we began, we created concept art for the main character: a cute spaceship pilot girl who helped give the game more personality and charm. My goals for the project were the following:
- Push the visual style as far as possible within the time limit. I wanted Orbit Rider GT to feel cute, stylish, and characterful, combining a soft anime-inspired direction with the monochrome look I enjoy using in my work. Even though it was made for a game jam, I wanted the game to have a clear identity rather than feel like a rough prototype.
- Create a polished and complete-feeling jam game. A big focus was making the game feel satisfying to play, with smooth movement, readable feedback, cute animations, and clean presentation. I wanted every part of the game to feel considered, from the way the player jumps between planets to how levels communicate success, failure, and progress.
- Design the game around a simple one-button control scheme. Since Orbit Rider GT only uses the space bar, I wanted the challenge to come from timing, positioning, and route planning rather than complicated inputs. This helped make the game easy to understand quickly, while still giving the levels enough depth to become more challenging as new hazards and layouts were introduced.
Game Jam
Friday
I started by building the basic version of the game in GameMaker. At this stage, the player could orbit around planets and launch between them, which gave me the foundation for the rest of the project. I also began establishing the visual style early on, using a shader to create the look of the planets before adding the small ship and the move counter in the corner of the screen. This helped the game quickly develop the monochrome identity I wanted.
Saturday
On Saturday, I focused on turning the core prototype into a full set of levels. I finished the background shader, which helped give the game its stronger space atmosphere, then began adding obstacles that could build on the one-button movement system. These included asteroids, black holes, and space dragons that only moved when the player moved.
With the main mechanics in place, I then spent the rest of the day building the levels. This was where the game started to properly come together, as each level could introduce a new idea or combine existing obstacles in a slightly different way. The goal was to keep the game simple while using the level layouts and hazards to create more interesting timing and route-planning challenges.
Sunday
On Sunday, I focused on finishing the presentation and getting the game ready for submission. This was mainly sound design day, with Tobias Roberts creating music that added more layers as the game progressed, helping the game feel more energetic as the player moved through the levels.
We also added new sprites for the main character, giving her different reactions depending on what happened during play, such as winning a level, running out of fuel, or crashing into an obstacle. To finish the game off, I added the main menu and end screen, then packaged everything up and submitted the game by the evening.
Reflection
I am really happy with how Orbit Rider GT turned out. Out of all the short games I have made, I think this is probably one of my strongest visually, and I am proud of how much personality we were able to get into it during a game jam. The monochrome art style, character reactions, shaders, music, and simple one-button design all came together to make something that feels polished and complete.
The main thing I learned from the project was more about distribution than development. Because Orbit Rider GT was submitted as an executable game, it was harder to get people to download and play it during the jam. Next time, I would aim to make a browser-playable version, as that would make it much easier for people to try the game quickly.
That said, I do not think this takes away from the quality of the game itself. Personally, I am very happy with the final result, and I think Orbit Rider GT is one of my most polished and visually successful jam entries so far.
Gameplay screenshots
